The House of Representatives has removed us yet another step from the quaint idea that people are to be treated equally before the law.* The House of Representatives has removed us yet another step from the quaint quaint adj. quaint·er, quaint·est 1. Charmingly odd, especially in an old-fashioned way: "Sarah Orne Jewett . . . idea that people are to be treated equally before the law. By a vote of 233 to 199, the House amended legislation cracking cracking - cracker down on child-sex offenders to include an expansion of current "hate crime" law. The amendment would allow the federal government to assist state and local authorities in prosecuting crimes motivated by a victim's sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. , gender, or disability. The very idea of a hate-crime law is misguided mis·guid·ed adj. Based or acting on error; misled: well-intentioned but misguided efforts; misguided do-gooders. mis·guid : It establishes a special class of victims whose injuries are given special weight; it implies, correspondingly, that victims who do not belong to a designated group are less worthy of protection; and it punishes criminals for what they think in addition to what they do. Prosecuting all crimes does not require us to abandon the idea that all men are created equal The quotation "All men are created equal" is arguably the best-known phrase in any of America's political documents, as the idea it expresses is generally considered the foundation of American democracy. in favor of the idea that men who use a wheelchair, or sleep with so-and-so, are more equal than others. |
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